WASHINGTON – The House and Senate have about 24 days of the nation’s business to address before their August recess, and most of it will be of the smaller bill variety. No member wants to cast a tough vote to be defended at home in the weeks leading up to the Nov. 4 midterm election.

But the big headlines this week likely will be about developments in Iraq and what the U.S. response should be as the situation continues to deteriorate and Baghdad’s security is threatened.

House leadership questions will be decided this week. House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, is the leading contender for the No. 2 spot, House majority leader. Several members are vying for his current job — all in the aftermath of the resignation of Eric Cantor, R-Va., the majority leader who lost his primary last week.

Legislation that will get attention in coming days includes veterans affairs fixes, highway funding, tax extenders and energy regulation. Expect Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Santa Ana, to introduce a bill this week that will significantly increase Pell Grants for college students.

Government spending bills are moving forward steadily, and “members and staff are more hopeful than they have been in years past about their chances of passing a full slate before the August break, so they can conference the House and Senate spending plans when the chambers return,” reported CQ Roll Call.

This is a much smoother sail than in recent years when government spending lurched from continuing resolution to continuing resolution. Credit goes to Senate and House Budget chairs Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Paul Ryan, R-Wisc., for crafting a palatable budget framework last year that passed.

Among the events and hearings in Washington this week of interest to Southern California:

Monday

Biden Travel: Vice President Joe Biden is scheduled to go to Brazil, Colombia and the Dominican Republic to meet with leaders, returning Thursday. While in Brazil, he will attend the June 16 soccer match in Natal between the United States and Ghana.

Wednesday

McCain on Iraq: Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and retired U.S. Army Gen. Jack Keane will address the situation in Iraq at a panel discussion hosted by American Enterprise Institute, 1 p.m. PT, livestream at AEI.org.

GM CEO returns: General Motors CEO Mary Barra and an independent investigator will testify at a hearing to answer followup questions about the GM ignition switch recall. 7 a.m. PT.

Climate change: A Senate subcommittee will hear testimony on climate change and what can be done about it. Witnesses include Daniel Botkin, professor emeritus of biology, UC Santa Barbara. The full committee is chaired by Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer. 7 a.m. PT.

Religious freedom: The House Foreign Affairs Committee, chaired by Rep. Ed Royce, R-Fullerton, will examine the lack of religious freedom in Turkey. After the hearing, the committee will consider a bill introduced by Royce and ranking member Eliot Engel, D-NY, which requires an annual report from the State Department on the status of stolen, confiscated or unreturned Christian properties in territories controlled by Turkey. 7 a.m. PT.

Bowe Bergdahl: A House Foreign Affairs subcommittee convene a hearing to examine the implications the exchange of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl for five senior Taliban officials will have on national security. Witnesses include those that served with him. 11 a.m. PT, livestream at foreignaffairs.house.gov.

New citizens: First Lady Michelle Obama will speak to 50 new U.S. citizens and their families at a swearing-in ceremony at the National Archives, in front of the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. About 600,000 new Americans are granted citizenship every year at naturalization ceremonies around the country and overseas.

Thursday

Medal of Honor: President Barack Obama will award the Medal of Honor to Corporal William “Kyle” Carpenter, U.S. Marine Corps (Ret.). On Nov. 21, 2010, Carpenter covered a grenade with his own body to save a fellow Marine. He lost most of his jaw, fractured his right arm in more than 30 places, lost an eye and sustained a host of other grave injuries, Marine Times reported. He is now a full time student at the University of South Carolina.

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